Q:Hi,My friend said i need a surge protector for all my electrical equipment otherwise they could mess up?

If you live in an area that has underground cabling and your electrical supply is stable, you might not need one. However, if you don't have a surge protector and lightening hits a power line, you could fry some expensive equipment. Even blowing a fuse can cause a big enough surge to burn up an electronic device. Most people protect their pc their tv.

Q:1 explain the difference btween a conductor and an insulator in terms of the transfer of electrons. Why are problems with static electricity common in winter than at other times of the year? How could any of these problems be reduced?Why is cleaning dusting more difficult in winter?List at least 2 reason why you think plastic materials are used to cover the copper wires in electrical equipment.

1. In a conductor, electrons transfer easily from atom to atom. In an insulator, it is extremely hard to cause electrons to shift atom to atom. (edit) This means an electrical current cannot flow in an insulator, as electrons must move in a conductor. (end edit). 2. In winter, the air contains less moisture. Therefore static charges will not dissipate as quickly as they will in moist air, and are more easily generated. 3. For the above reason, moving dust particals can easily induce a charge in them, which will be of opposite polarity to the surface. They can be attracted back to the surface. Using a slightly moist cloth can help when dusting in winter. 4. Plastics etc. are electrical insulators. Plastic insulation is very easy to apply to a conductor by extrusion around the conductor, in a plastic extrusion machine. The material is heated to a suitable plastic constituency. Plastic insulations are NOT used in extreme heat or cold situations for conductors. If you live in the US, you will see lots of rubber insulated power leads, as plastics can get more brittle and fracture in cold conditions. Plasticity is the state between solid and liquid, which is where all plastics are worked. In fact, many materials other than plastics can be worked in a plastic state, even metals!

Q:Can you actually save a decent amount of money by unplugging things like cable boxes, microwaves, etc.?I've taken to shutting things down when I leave for work, but there's really no way I'll be able to determine how much I'll save. If it's not significant enough I'd rather not bother - waiting for the cable to reboot is a pain!We have two cable boxes with associated TVs and DVDs that get shut down along with our clean air machines. Is it worth it?

Yes. It depends on what device as to whether it is worth putting it on a power strip. Unplugging all the time is not good for your wall socket or plugs so use a power strip. Get a Kill A Watt meter for about $30 bucks and it will tell you what is drawing power. Directv receiver like mine draw about 40 watts when off, not good. Put power strips on all your entertainment center stuff, get the surge suppressor type, and it will protect your equipment too. Leaving the coffee maker in the warming mode uses a lot of juice too.

Q:I just got a cpu cooling system (fan/heat sinc) the fan stopped working, ive blown it out and it still will not work. I dont feel the need to replace a brand new fan. Any ideas as to what went wrong with it?

Since it's a brand new fan, that's all the more reason to look into replacing it. See what kind of warranty you've got with it, or just take it back. For all we know, it could have been a dud straight from the factory.

Q:i replaced my home theater system thinking it was busted but when i recieved my new one it still had the same buzzing sound i noticed the buzz is in the bedroom too

So you've tried this system in other rooms/outlets? Some things in your power gid can cause this. Usually its something like an appliance using some juice like a vacume cleaner or a microwave but that of course is only temporary. If it's a constant thing then try to think of something you recently pluged in or changed that might be sucking power. What you want is a POWER CONDITIONER. Although a few high end surge protectors will sometime have limited power conditioning capabilities.

Q:if my electrical equipment has a fuse; does that not mean it's protected?is it just the power grid that goes down?

it induces overloads that defeat the ability of the equipment to deal with excess voltage. heat is generated, and things burn up , or melt. the 1859 solar flare actually shorted out heavy copper telegraph cables.

Q:I bought an appliance and it says I need a 15 amp NEMA (standard) outlet to plug it into. The picture looks like that of a household plug outlet, 2 prongs and 1 bar, but drawing is round instead of oval. Says if not available to call electrician. Are these the same (household outlet and the NEMA 15 amp)?

NEMA okorder

Q:I cut a deal with my electrical shop teacher. If i tell him how we can relate an electrical class to ski lifts and snowmaking and learn about how they work and the electrical portion of them then hell take my shop to our local mountain Wachusett. Can anyone tell me how ski lifts and snowmaking equipment work and how i can relate it to electrical

Most ski lifts drive their cables from an electric motor. (This provides efficient torque control and emergency shut-down capability.) Snow making equipment uses electric drives for the water pumps and air compressors. (They make snow by freezing a sprayed water mist with the expansion cooling of the compressed air.)

Q:I have some basic questions about SketchUP and AutoCAD.I'm totally new to 3D software and was planning to enroll in an AutoCADcourse before I found SketchUP and found out some self training with thefree tutorials might give me some good handicap before I go to the more advanced stage.My question is : Is it possible to transfer without any issue (bugs, etc.) a 3D file from SketchUP to Autocad and continue the work in AutoCAD, or vice-versa?What would be the best way for someone like me (that knows almost nothing) to get started?andwhat would be the best figures to start drawing for someone who eventually plans to design mainly electrical heavy equipments?Thanks a lot.

Yes, it is possible to transfer Sketchup files to AutoCAD. You will need to purchase the Pro version of Sketchup though. In my experience its best to always draw in the native program you intend to use. Something always gets lost or confused during any translation. Free Sketchup can import AutoCAD files, but not export them. AutoCAD cannot import Sketchup files. In my opinion Sketchup is really great for quick models artistic renderings. Sure you can spend a lot of time getting the model perfect but it will always look artistic, never real. My advise. Inroll in some AutoCAD training classes, buy some books, get the manual if possible, or at least consult the Help menu within AutoCAD(There are tutorials available within the Help menu also).

Q:a small fire that is at the outlet

Turn off the power if possible. Electrical fires can be put out with water, if you do not have a dry chemical to use to smother the flame. Electrical equipment will eventually deenergize itself when the conduction material burns through to the point of non-conductivity. The problem with electrical fires is that they spread to the surrounding materials. When those surrounding materials are flammable, that is the real concern.